I am traveling to Austria for business later this summer and will have only a full afternoon to explore city prior to heading home. First, what is the easiest way to get from airport to city center? My hotel is located at the airport. Second, what should I do/see in Vienna with only 1 afternoon to explore?
Thanks!
I would strongly suggest staying in Vienna as opposed to the airport. It only takes 15-20 minutes by cab and it is so pleasant to be in the city as opposed to the soulless hotel of the airport.
First, it is important to understand the day of the week. How many hours? What do you like to do - eat, go to museums, history, parks?
Easiest way to the/from the airport is by pre-paid taxi. I suggest Red Cab or Airport Driver. Cheapest would be the S7 train to Landstrasse Mitte and then switching to the U3 subway line.
I agree with Emily. I've done an afternoon/evening in Vienna before a 6 or 7 am flight the next morning a couple of times. Both times I stayed in the city center and caught an early-morning cab to the airport. Stay out late. Catch a few hours of sleep. Doze on the plane. You won't regret it.
Thanks for info on the S7! I would love to stay downtown, but my business has booked airport hotel. Plan to get downtown around 2pm and plan to spend rest of afternoon/evening sightseeing. I enjoy seeing museums/palaces during my time in Europe. Are there any cant miss sights? Also, plan to have dinner downtown and would like to know some good authentic Austrian restaurants? Flight home isn't till 10am next morning, so I can stay out late.
Since you like palaces and museums, I would head for the Kunsthistorische Museum (open daily June, July & August) and the Hofburg Palace - since they are across the street from each other. We especially enjoyed the Schatkammer for the Charlemagne items - including the Holy Lance.
I would hit the Hofburg Apartments. The Kunsthistoriches Museum is awesome, but with only one afternoon there, I wouldn't cram in two museums, and I'd focus on the Hofburg. Then swing by St. Stephen's Cathedral (it's not a long walk, maybe 12-15 minutes). Then take public transportation to a heuriger for dinner that night (these were a particular highlight for us in Vienna). Take a look at Rick's book on Vienna and follow his advice on the heuriger. Heurigen are not right downtown, but I really think they are worthwhile.
Again, what day of the week?
Appreciate everyone's feedback! I'll be in Vienna on a Friday afternoon.
Anyone out there do the Rick Steve's City Walk? I've noticed he has a tour of St Stephens Cathedral as well.
A Friday afternoon/evening in late summer...he’s what I’d do....
Take a pre-booked taxi to Schonbrunn. Spend 1-2 hours walking the gardens and up to the Gloriette. Have an apple strudel at the Gloriette. Taxi an Uber to Stephansplatz. Do the Frommers Walking Tour 1 (should take you another 1-2 hours). Go to the Rathaus for the superb Food and Film Festival for dinner. Excellent restaurants in Vienna set up shop here in the summer. Quality is very high. Go back to hotel by Uber.
I would concentrate on the Hofburg Complex--Hofburg palace, treasury, imperial silver collection, national library (stunning!!) and Michaelskirche. If you'd like to see a museum and felt you had time, I'd do the Albertina which had been a palace as well. I would also go to St. Stephens and Peterskirche. I think all that is doable (churches are open in the evening). If you still had time consider a stroll around the rathuis, parlament and opera house. I also think that a heurigen near the Vienna Woods would be a great idea if you like wine and have the time. I only have come from the airport (I've left town by train) I've done the bus, and I've also used the train to the metro. The train/metro was cheaper and came closer to my final destination, and seemed to come more often, but that may have been luck. Schonbrunn takes about 30 minutes to get to, each way, its awesome, but you get may bang for your travel time by staying inside the ring strasse.
Vienna was my favorite city for art museums as I love all things Klimt and Schiele and Secession era, so depending on your interest you might fine tune your museums depending on any particular interests you might have. I liked the Kunsthistoriches the least, saved it for my second visit. The Leopold, Albertina and Belvedere were more satisfying to me. My 3rd visit to Vienna last month was all about just wandering the innerestadt, walking the Ringstrasse, riding the Riesenrad (don't even get me started on The Third Man--if you haven't seen this movie, try to before your trip) and having lunch at a restaurant that I like in the Prater that has grossmutterschnitzel. Near St Stephen's I had an excellent meal at Cafe Frauenhuber on Himmelpfortgasse 6--traditional old café, seemed to attract more of a local clientele than tourists, and I loved their tafelspitz.
